CHILLICOTHE - After a year that will likely see Ross County post a record number of fatal drug overdoses, officials from that southern Ohio county are banding together to create a program they believe will help reduce those deaths.

Ross County Prosecutor Matthew Schmidt announced the Overdose Amnesty Program at a Thursday press conference that included Chillicothe Law Director Sherri Rutherford, Ross County Sheriff George Lavender and Chillicothe Police Chief Keith Washburn.

"Heroin is not worth dying over," Schmidt said. "Law enforcement officials in this county would rather see addicts get help, than get arrested. We would rather see lives saved, than lives lost."

To that end, Schmidt announced the program allowing any person who witnesses another person overdosing, or believes that they are overdosing, and calls for emergency to request amnesty on misdemeanor drug charges, including drug possession, possession of drug abuse instruments, permitting drug abuse and drug paraphernalia charges. It will not be granted to those engaged in drug trafficking, he said.

The amnesty program has been developed in the last few months by Schmidt's office in conjunction with the Ross County Sheriff's Office, the Chillicothe Police Department and other law enforcement agencies in the county.

"Ross County, like many other counties in Ohio, is faced with epidemic opiate abuse," he said. "A tragic result of this epidemic is an alarming increase in drug overdose deaths. Far too often, emergency responders are not alerted to an overdose until it is too late to provide critical treatment."

The program does not require the person to stay at the scene until rescue crews arrive, unlike some other laws across the nation. Information for drug treatment programs will be given to anyone who stays at the scene, but going to treatment is not mandatory for those who stay.

Already in place in 34 states, including Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Illinois, "Good Samaritan" laws generally allow a caller to report someone possibly experiencing an overdose emergency to law enforcement without the fear of being prosecuted for supervision violations and low-level drug offenses. Ohio does not currently have such a law, but House Bill 249 seeks to create one and is currently in the House Judiciary Committee.

The announcement comes at a time when local officials believe the number of drug overdose deaths could top 40 in 2015, up from 28 in 2014. As of Dec. 1, the Ross County Coroner's Office has reported 29 fatal overdoses in the county.

Washburn said the police department handled five drug overdose calls on Dec. 23-24 alone and, on Monday, there were three overdose calls and a methamphetamine lab bust.

Schmidt did say the amnesty program will not allow someone to avoid a probation violation, bond violation or Drug Court sanction, or to avoid a parole violation.